Audio-adapted eyeglass retainer

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a hollow, strap-like eyeglass retainer which will provide audio electronic connections to interact with radio or other audio signal producing and audio speakers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field

The invention relates to sound headset systems for attachment toeyeglasses via a neck-strap retainer (spectacles).

2. State of the Art

Related devices to the instant invention are stereo earphones, headsets,radio glasses and eyeglass retainers as cited in certain United Statesand foreign patents.

Headsets, headphones, eyeglass retention and radio glasses are generallyshown in one or more of the following United States and foreign patents:U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,882,769, the disclosure of which relates to an AM/FMradio supported and mounted within a pair of sunglasses; 4,856,086(McCullough), which describes an electronic device mounted in the templeof a pair of eyeglasses; 4,965,913 (Sugarman), which illustrates a strapfor retaining glasses about the neck ready for convenient use; 4,820,036(Seet) describes a headband for retention of glasses; 4,864,646 (Nesibitet al.) has a speaker and radio in a wide, flat strap; 4,764,962 (Ekmanet al.), describes a typical walkman carrier; Japanese Patent No.59-223096 (Seiko Denshi Kogyo) and West German Patent No. DE3509658-A1(Eberhardt) show typical headsets.

None of these references cited appear to arrange an AM/FM stereo radiointo an eyeglass retainer form having a comfortable flexible cloth strapor buoyant rubber tube and/or the like, concealing an antenna,electrical wires and/or air hoses wherein the retainer is adapted to beconnected to a set of expandable eyeglass. An earpiece supported by aflexible arm attached directly or intermediately to the retainer forms ahousing for a micro AM/FM stereo with speakers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The instant invention relates to a unique assembly for modifying a pairof spectacles to provide an audio system juxtaposed next to the ears ofa wearer of the spectacles. The assembly includes a spectacle retainercontaining wiring necessary for receiving a radio signal and wiring tointerconnect certain electronic and/or audio components of theinvention. The assembly further includes fastening means to fasten theretainer to the temples of a pair of spectacles wherein said retainerfastener means further includes conduit means to allow communicationbetween the writing in said retainer and certain electronic and/or audiocomponents attached directly or indirectly to the retainer fastenermeans. Earphone speakers are supported by a flexible arm supportattached directly or indirectly to said retainer fastener means. Theflexible arm support preferably contains a miniature audio receiver.

This invention is not only lightweight and easy to operate, but uniqueand useful because of its organized structure engineered to accommodateattachable items such as a microphone, headgear batteries, solar cells,extension cords and electronic eyeglasses with defogable lenses.

This invention is to be used by the public and has a variety ofpractical applications.

An important feature of the invention is to arrange an AM/FM radiowherein certain components such as the antenna and certain wiring can beincorporated into an eyeglass retainer which will fit on most eyeglassstems or frames. The retainer preferably is constructed in a tubularshape from a material such as cloth, leather, rubber, neoprene, plasticor a similar synthetic.

A pair of eyeglass stem sleeves are attached at the free ends of theeyeglass retainer to secure the retainer to the spectacles. The stemsleeves form a housing which preferably includes a flexible arm andsupport structure to hold an AM/FM radio with speakers and/or the like.A pair of drawstrings are preferably used to attach the eyeglassretainer to the eyeglass stem sleeves.

Another feature of the present invention is a bead located on or nearthe tail end of the eyeglass retainer. This bead may slide along theeyeglass retainer to change its length and may also be formed into ahousing to hold a radio, solar cell and/or the like.

The present invention may also include an accessory jack located on thetail end of the eyeglass retainer to connect to an extension cord.

The audio-adapted eyeglass retainer is structured to accommodateattachable items such as a microphone, headgear, solar cells, batteries,extension cord and electronic eyeglasses which have defogable lensesand/or electronic readout lenses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thisinvention connected to a pair of defogable eyeglasses with electronicreadout lenses;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachable microphone;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the eyeglass stem sleeve and attachabletemple piece taken along line 3--3;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the eyeglass stem sleeve flange andattachable temple piece taken along line 4--4;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a housing engineered to hold a speaker,micro radio, battery, solar cell and/or the like, taken along line 5--5;

FIG. 6 is a section illustrating accessory leads, headgear, head-sizingbracket and attachment bracket for micro radio, solar cell and/or thelike taken along line 6--6;

FIG. 7 is a section illustrating headgear, flexible joint and accessorywires, taken along line 7--7;

FIG. 8 is a cross section illustrating headgear attachment stud andaccessory leads taken along line 8--8;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the headgear; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a person wearing the invention and someof its attachable accessories.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows an audio-adapted eyeglass retainer 20 consisting of twocomfortable 13.5" long×0.4" diameter flexible cloth straps having anopen bore and/or buoyant rubber tubes fastened together at one end by a0.625" sq.×0.25" wide cloth or plastic end patch 22. This end patch 22houses accessory jacks connected to 13.5" long speaker wires 17,electric wires 16, antenna 18 and hoses 19. These leads are located andconcealed inside the strap and are connected to a right and leftearpiece 30 with end caps 31 located at the straps' two free ends. Theserubbery earpieces 30 are annular in shape, having a ring portion ofabout 0.75" in outer diameter×0.376" wide with an inner diameter ofabout 628". The inner diameter is ribbed with flexible fins 28 shaped toconform about various component configurations such as a 0.6" φ microradio, speakers, solar cells and/or the like 38. This ring portion has arearwardly extending arm 24 about 1.165" in length×about 0.25" indiameter with a flexible joint 25 which has bending and memoryproperties.

Located at the top of the extending, flexible arm 24 and preferablyintegral therewith is a stem sleeve end 29 about 0.36" sq.×0.565" longwith an internal bore 27 designed to have an hourglass shape to grip onto most eyeglass stem configurations 13. This stem sleeve 29 has a0.292" sq.×0.063" thick flange 26 designed to attach to the eyeglassstraps' two free ends, by means of a drawstring, glue, fasteners and/orthe like 21. The stem sleeve supports the flexible arms which can beadjusted to place the earpieces proximate the ears of a person wearingthe spectacles to which the audio-adapted retainer is attached.

Located at the fastened end of the electrical eyeglass retainer near theend patch 22 there is a cylindrical cinch bead 23 with an internal boreof about 0.188" in outside diameter×0.443" in inside diameter×0.338"long. This bead 23 may slide along the strap 20 to change its length,for neck adjustment, and it may also be engineered to function as amicro radio, solar cell and/or the like.

The audio-adapted eyeglass retainer has been engineered to fit mosteyeglass stems 13, yet in FIG. 1 the electrical eyeglass retainer 20 isattached to a pair of defogable eyeglasses 11 which have accessory jacks15, lights or controls 14 and electronic readout lenses 12.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an attachable microphone 34. Thismicrophone when fully extended is about 9" in length consisting of atubular body about 0.1875" in outside diameter×0.0625". At one end ofthis hollow plastic, graphite and/or the like body member there is amouth piece 36. This mouth piece may be surrounded by acoustical foamand transmit sound through leads 37 inside the hollow body member whichis attached to an end cap receiver 33 located at the opposite end of themouth piece 36. This end cap receiver 33 has been engineered to snaponto and make electrical contact to said annular arm-shaped earpiece 30.This microphone has push button and rotational movement along the endcap as well as flexible joints 35 with memory for head adjustment.

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged sectional view of the stem sleeve 29 located atthe top of the extending arm 24. This stem sleeve end 29 may slide ontomost eyeglass stems 13 with an internal configuration 27 sized andstructured to grip by friction onto the eyeglass stems 13 when in acomfortable ear location. This stem sleeve 29 may also detach from theextending arm 24 at part line 48 taken along line 3--3 in FIG. 1. Thestem sleeve 29 contains an opening or bore suitably sized to permitpassage therethrough of any wire or conduits contained within theretainer strap to pass into or along the flexible arm and intocomponents held at the lower end of said arm.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 1showing the stem sleeve end of the extending arm 24 showing a flange 26used to attach to the eyeglass strap preferably by use of a drawstring,glue and/or the like 21.

The sleeve end 29 may, of course, be an integral part of the retainerstrap.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 1. This viewshows a portion of the earpiece 30 and internal fin or spacer 28 used toconform about internal components such as a micro radio, speakers, solarcell and/or the like 38. These rubbery fin spacers are about 0.36" inlength×0.376" wide×0.01" thick.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of an attachable headgear 39. This0.1875" sq. plastic, graphite bar-shaped body has a U-shaped form about6" in radius with rubbery flexible joints 40 with memory internal wires44, head-sizing brackets 43 for head adjustment, accessory clip 42 andattachment studs 41 located at each end of the U-shaped headgear. Thesestuds 41 may plug into the stem sleeve of the earpiece 29 and maycomplete electrical contact with the earpiece 30.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6--6 in FIG. 9 showingan accessory attachment clip 42, head-sizing bracket 42, headgear 39,internal wires 44 and/or the like.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7--7 in FIG. 9 showinginternal wires 44, headgear 39 and a rubbery flexible joint 40.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through line 8--8 showing an attachmentpost 40 with internal wires 44. These components may plug into the stemsleeve end of the extending arm located on the earpiece 29.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a person wearing an electrical eyeglassretainer 20 with attachable items such as headgear 39, microphone 34,accessory wires 45, radio, compact disc, tape player, phone and/or thelike 46.

The dimensions set forth herein are generally preferred for certainpreferred embodiments of the invention; however, deviations andvariations to these dimensions may be made while still retaining thegeneral structure and function of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the instant invention utilizes the retainerstrap to hold a pair of spectacles in place on the ears during activity,such as jogging, etc. or to hold the spectacles in place on the chestwith the retainer straps around the neck. Further, in such anembodiment, the retainer strap preferably contains wires whichinterconnect, electronically, the pair of earpieces with one another andespecially where one earpiece contains a micro radio and the othercontains a speaker. Such an embodiment is fully integrated with theretainer strap and earpieces interconnected and containing a battery,either in the strap or in one of the earpieces, a radio and speakers sothat upon being fitted to a pair of spectacles, a convenient radio/headphone device is available to anyone wearing such a device andspectacles.

Another embodiment utilizes the retainer strap as a conduit toelectronically interconnect the earpieces but also, via a jack attachedto the retainer strap and electronically wired within the strap tocommunicate to the earpieces, a remote radio, tape player or otherelectronic receiver/transmitter, etc. may be readily operably associatedwith the audio-adapted spectacle retainer. For example, a miniature taperecorder carried on one's belt or in a pocket could be connected to thejack.

The hollow stem sleeve 29 is a unique member facilitating the fasteningof a hollow retainer strap having an open end to the stem sleeve whileproviding conduit space within its internal bore. The shape andstructure of the internal bore is such that the semi-flexible nature ofthe sleeve enables it to grip the stem of a pair of spectacles in amanner to securely hold the sleeve (and retainer strap) to thespectacles while providing an internal conduit space for the passage ofsmall wires, tubes and the like from the retainer strap, through thesleeve to permit their being connected to an electrical and/or audioaccessory or other accessory.

The sleeve 29 further has preferably a depending arm which is structuredand adapted to hold some audio and/or electrical accessory in adesirable position relative to the stem sleeve, the spectacles and tosome portion of the anatomy, e.g. the ears, of a person wearing thespectacles.

This accessory support arm preferably contains a bore through whichwires, tubes, etc. may be passed from the internal bore of the sleeve onto some electrical and/or audio component or other component. Theaccessory arm is preferably semi-flexible with sufficient stiffness tostay in some selected position once the arm has been moved into thatposition. The accessory arm may be permanently affixed to the sleeve orit may be made detachable, e.g. by use of a tongue and groove joint orother fastening means.

The retainer strap may be fastened permanently to the sleeve or it mayutilize a drawstring, integral, expandable "O" ring or the like securedat the open end of the strap to make a secure but detachable connectionto the flange or other fastening means provided on the sleeve toaccommodate the interconnection between the strap and sleeve.

The instant invention provides a unique, advantageous manner ofmodifying virtually any pair of spectacles with an audio, electrical orother capability.

Other variations and embodiments utilized in the instant invention are,of course, possible and it is intended that the invention have the scopeembodied within the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An audio headset adapted to be attached to standard eyeglassspectacles having temples and ear-fitting members comprising:a pair offlexible, hollow sleeve members each having an internal boresufficiently large to slide over the ear-fitting member of the ends ofeyeglass temples and accommodate electrical conductors, and having twopairs of free ends, one pair adapted to slide over the ends of eyeglasstemples and another pair of free ends, one free end from each flexiblehollow sleeve member adapted to fit into an end patch containing anaccessory jack, said end patch joining said free ends together, saidflexible hollow sleeve members when formed together being sufficientlylong to at least fit behind the head of a wearer of said flexible hollowsleeve members when said one pair of free ends of said flexible hollowsleeve members are attached to eyeglass spectacles; an earpiece speakerattachment, said attachment having means to attach to each of saideyeglass temples and flexible arm means to adjustably support at leastone miniature speaker adjacent the ear of a wearer of said eyeglassesand having means adapted to interact with said flexible hollow sleevemembers to accept and hold in position one pair of free ends of saidflexible hollow sleeve members; and an end patch member adapted tocontain an electrical jack for electrically interconnected externalelectronic components to said audio headset and to join one pair of thefree ends of said flexible hollow sleeve members together.
 2. The audioheadset of claim 1 wherein said flexible hollow sleeve containelectrical conductors.
 3. The audio headset of claim 2 wherein at leastone of said electrical conductors is adapted to connect at one end to aminiature speaker.
 4. The audio headset of claim 3, wherein at least oneof said electrical conductors is adapted to connect to a radio.
 5. Theaudio headset of claim 1 wherein said flexible hollow sleeve contain aflexible antenna member adapted at one end to connect to a radio.
 6. Ahollow stem sleeve member for attaching a retainer strap to a pair ofspectacle stems as well as providing structure to hold certain accessorydevices in a certain selected position with respect to said hollow stemsleeve, comprising:a hollow, semi-flexible sleeve having an internalbore shaped and structured to fit securely about the stem of a spectacletemple and to provide conduit space for a fine wire; fastening means onsaid hollow stem sleeve structured to receive and have secured to it theopen end of a hollow, flexible retainer strap; accessory support meanson said hollow stem sleeve to secure an electrical and/or audioaccessory to said hollow stem sleeve so that said accessory can bepositioned within certain relationships to said hollow stem sleeve. 7.The hollow stem sleeve of claim 6 wherein said accessory support meansis a semi-flexible member positionable in certain selected positionswith respect to said hollow stem sleeve.
 8. The hollow stem sleeve ofclaim 6 wherein said necessary support means has internal conduit meansto accommodate a wire-type element.
 9. The hollow stem sleeve of claim 6wherein said fastening means is a flange.
 10. The hollow stem sleeve ofclaim 6 wherein said internal bore has an hour-glass cross-sectionalshape.